Kitchen Basil Blend

Quick Facts:

Kitchen Basil Blend

Rate this product:

0

Add to Wishlist

Description:

Kitchen Basil Blend seeds combines three unique basil varieties for utility in the kitchen. Genovese basil has big smooth green leaves, for use in pesto and pasta. Rosie Red Rubin basil seeds bring distinctive colour and pungent flavour to salads and vinegars. Cinnamon basil's leaves are lovely as a garnish and nice choice for herbal teas. It has smaller leaves than the Genovese and lovely pink flowers. Grow on the window sill, in the garden or in containers on the patio. Use the edible flowers in salads too! All types of basil enjoy warm, freely draining soil and lots of moisture in summer heat. Basil also makes sensational microgreens - they take a little while to germinate, but are worth the wait for gourmet garnishes.

Size:

SKU:

Price:

Availability:

Quantity:

Total:

1g

HR1011A

$3.49

In stock

$0.00

5g

HR1011B

$7.99

In stock

$0.00

25g

HR1011C

$20.99

In stock

$0.00

Allow Substitutions

Allow Backorder

$0.00

Quick Facts:

Beautiful basil trio

Adds distinctive colour

Great choice for teas

Use the flowers in salads

Lovely pink flowers

How To Grow

Planting basil from seed is truly enjoyable. Seeds germinate slowly, a bit faster when heated from below, and basil enjoys hot weather and full sun. Be sure to try Thai basil, holy basil, and red rubin basil — each variety has its own characteristics. Follow along with this handy How to Grow Basil from Seed Guide and grow some flavour.!

LatinOcimum basilicum, Holy basil is O. tenuiflora. Family: Lamiaceae

Difficulty Easy

We Recommend: Certified Organic Genovese Basil (HR1019). This is the standard by which to compare all of the other fine basil varieties. Traditional, heirloom, Italian basil is the best choice for pesto.For Urban Gardeners: Certified Organic Dolly Basil (HR1025) has all the aroma of Genovese, but with slightly larger leaves, faster growth, and a better tolerance of the cool nighttime temperatures that can occur on balconies and rooftop gardens. It’s also slightly better suited for container growing.

Season: Warm seasonExposure: Full sunZone: 3 to 10 – not cold hardy

Timing Basil grows well in containers indoors at any time of year provided you can supply enough light. For outdoor growing, sow basil seeds from mid-April to mid-May for transplanting to the garden in June, or direct sow in late-May or early June, once the soil has warmed up. Basil requires warm soil and full sun. Optimal temperature for germination: 21°C (70°F). Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.

Starting Sow seeds 1cm (½”) deep in sterilized seed starting mix. Basil is prone to damping off, so one seeds sprout, make sure they are adequately ventilated, and kept under very bright light. Thin to 20-25cm (8-10″) apart. Using bottom heat speeds germination.

Growing Use any rich, loose, well drained soil. Once plants are 15cm (6″) tall, pinch out the growing tips to encourage really bushy growth prior to harvest. Watch for signs of flower buds forming in mid-summer, and pinch these off to promote more foliage.

Harvest Frequent harvesting will prolong the life of the plant. Basil leaves have the best flavour just before the plant flowers, and if you plan to preserve some of your basil or make a big batch of pesto, this is the best time to harvest. Flowering can be delayed by pinching or clipping off new flower buds.

Tear basil rather than chop with a knife because when you chop you will notice the basil going dark. The oil stays in the leaf and does not properly flavour your food. Try to add just before serving so as to get the full aroma and effect. Cooking for any length tends to make the minty side of basil come to the forefront.

Basil is best fresh, but can be perserved by drying or by freezing. To do this, tear the leaves into small pieces and freeze small batches of them, with water, in ice cube trays. Once frozen, the cubes can be saved in zip-lock type bags and labeled for later use. This will preserve the fresh flavour of basil for up to four months.

For a large harvest, you can cut off as much as a half the plant at once.

Seed Info Usual seed life: 3 years.

Companion Planting Will improve vigour and flavour of tomatoes, planted side-by-side. Also good with asparagus, oregano, and peppers. Basil helps repel flies, mosquitoes, and thrips.